12/8/16

Christmas

A  Retro Look At Christmas for 2016

    Christmas is a wonderful, spirit-filled Holiday. When I was a child the anticipation of not so much presents, but oranges, apples, tangerines, candy, fruitcake, and nuts was one of the best joys of the season. These we received at church and at home. My Dad and older siblings always decorated the tree on Christmas Eve–so we children literally experienced Clement C. Moore’s  “Twas The Night Before Christmas”.  No, we did not hear hooves on our roof, nor Santa’s jolly  “Ho, Ho, Ho”–but the Christmas story was read to us each year before bed. We did not all participate in the tree going up, but we always took it down as a family on New Years Day–without fail.

     I can remember listening to Santa Claus’ journey (to get to our town) on the radio in our living room.  I truly believed that he was working hard to reach us until my older sister told me that Santa wasn’t real. I was three years old and totally devastated. Christmas never felt the same again until I realized that the Spirit of Christmas was the true giver. Christmas became even more wonderful, but I also grasped that my parents did a lot of hard work. It wasn’t until years later that I discovered that the manufacturers also did a large portion of the hard work.

     I believe that my mother associated Christmas with hard times. She grew up without her father–who died when she was very young.  This is an opportunity to thank her for putting forth so much effort to make our Christmas season memorable when I know that her own Christmas memories may have been much sparser.

     My Dad loved the very essence and spark of Christmas. He was a Baptist Pastor who would take us to church on Christmas Eve to hear, see, and feel the Nativity Scene; then return home to play with his children. It was his job to help set up the tree, and put the bicycles and other mechanical gifts together. Long after we (four girls and two boys) had cleaned our rooms and closed our excited eyes, Dad, along with my Mama, would take the time to ensure that all was ready for us on Christmas morning. It would not be until I was 16 years old that I would actively participate in this Christmas Eve ritual.

     Mama loved to cook. Christmas gave her a golden opportunity to do what she did best.  Her fruitcakes were legendary. I can remember helping her in the kitchen with the ulterior motive of tasting the batter and snitching the tiny bits of fruit and nuts. Delicious gingerbread smells and hot sweet rolls were what greeted us at the breakfast table on Christmas morning. I have always associated my Christmas breakfast with that of the girls of Louisa May Alcott’s  “Little Women” except that I actually got to eat my breakfast.

     After breakfast it was time to open presents. First came the fruit and nuts.  I still eat an orange with candy inside it every Christmas. The juice runs down my chin. I love it! Then came gifts varying from dolls to books; from skates to bikes.  I always received art supplies as I was the artistic child. I also received a nightgown, slippers,  and books every Christmas. The books were definitely my favorites. They were “Trixie Belden”, “Little Women”, “Rose In Bloom”, “Bobbsey Twins”, “What A jolly Street” and more. I spent the most wonderful moments of my childhood with my best friends–my books.

     Cleanup came next, and as the boys, including Dad, and the two youngest girls  played with their toys–we older girls helped Mama to finish preparing the mid-day Christmas meal. I say this with no regrets. It was wonderful to be in the warm, fragrant kitchen with Mama and my oldest sister. The kitchen was always the warmest room in the house at Christmas in temperature and temperament. I can still smell the roasting turkey and candied yams that made my mouth water.

     We always ate in our dining room, which had a cozy fireplace with a mantel above it. This is where my parents hung the mistletoe. They always embarrassed us. All of us would exclaim, “Yuck!”. My Grandmother and my Aunt would also join us at the Christmas meal. Dad would say the Christmas Blessing and we could eat. It was hard waiting for the adults to serve us all. I always got a drumstick–still my favorite piece, and stuffing so rich with flavor that I could have skipped the turkey altogether. There was homemade rolls; cranberry sauce; candied yams; collard greens, and a large slice of fruitcake for desert. So many leftovers. Storing them was another job to do while dishes were being washed, dried, and put away. We never ate an evening meal–we were too stuffed. Evening was a time to enjoy our gifts and each other. We would sing ‘O Holy Night’ with harmonies, and ‘The Little Drummer Boy’ while we tapped out the drumbeats.

     Finally, heads nodding, we would climb the stairs and store our treasures in our bedrooms. Christmas Day was drawing to an end, and what a wonderful day it had been. What I did not have the wisdom to know at my young age was that Christmas is every day. The gift of the Savior of Mankind is something to ponder and treasure all year long.

     Was your Christmas like mine? Possibly not. I believe that everyone has a unique experience because we all perceive differently. We grow up in different types of homes without the same family traditions. What is important is the knowledge of the Christ-child’s sacrifice for us, and remembering that we are Blessed with gifts each day, such as family– not just at Christmas.

     Does my immediate family celebrate Christmas the same as I did as a girl? There are many similarities, but there are also new traditions that marriage has brought to me and my family. Now, instead of reading ‘The Night Before Christmas”, we read Luke Chapter 2–the story of Christ’s birth. We are all adults here now, and this Christmas is to be treasured.  Next Christmas may be different, but I can always treasure the memories of watching my children’s faces at Christmastime, and my own delight in reading them Clement C. Moore’s  “The Night Before Christmas” when they were very young.

     Have a Wonderful Holiday Season–  Charlene

 

picture credit: hubpages.com

Narrative credit: charlene @charlene’s attic

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12/4/13

Birth As Life: Luke 2: 1-19 NIV

Luke 2: 11,12 NIV  Christmas  2013/2014

 

 

“Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is Christ the LORD. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

 

 

The Birth of Christ is a scriptural truth known by most but not embraced by many. The Christmas Holiday has degraded over time into a pursuit of new technologies or toys. Many do not know that Christmas means “Christ’s Mass”– a covenant between Jesus and ourselves. He is “The Gift”. The world’s traditional gifts such as scarves, sweaters, and mittens still hang in there but have taken a back seat to tablets and smartphones. A desirable gift to me is still a book filled with treasures and truths. The ultimate book is The Holy Bible. Within its pages rests the history and spirit of a people and their GOD. Let us give praise for the birth of our Savior who came to repair the breach forged in the Garden of Eden–to bring GOD’s people back to Himself.

 

 

Let us rededicate ourselves to the fight for souls, and the filling of spirits. We know not the day nor the hour when Jesus the Christ will come back to earth to gather His Bride the Church unto Himself–but this we do know beyond earthly knowledge, for God’s Spirit dwells in us, that Jesus is coming back for those of us who have put ourselves in His ever loving care. This church lives in the hearts of men, women, and children all over the world, and is not exclusive to traditional four walled buildings.

 

 

There are some truths that speak for themselves. Mankind is trying to forget the birth of the baby Jesus in the manger, but truth will always exert over falsehood. This Christmas season should be a time for giving of ourselves and our Blessings. It is not about the commercialism, it is about the sacrifice.

 

 

Have A Wonderful Holiday Season.

 

 

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

 

 

Charlene

 

 

Scripture taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version©

 

 

Copyright© 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.

Digiprove sealCopyright secured by Digiprove © 2013-2015 Charlene Kirst
11/14/13

November 14, 2013 Thanksgiving Medley

Thanksgiving Medley

Along with Christmas and Easter, Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. I enjoy the subdued commercialism, the time with family, and the smells of this holiday–but most of all the opportunity to say Thank You to The Lord of Hosts. Every breath and every morsel has come through Him.

credit: crcworship

Charlene’s Source: youtube

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11/12/12

November 11th, 2012 In Honor of Veterans Day

In Honor of  Veterans Day

 

It is so easy to overlook and forget yet another government holiday. If you are not a veteran, Veterans Day may come and go with the only reminder being no mail delivery. Veterans are a special people, and there are many activities to honor their sacrifice at home and abroad.  Cemeteries and memorials abound with the remains of those who have ensured your and my way of life for many centuries. Not only do veterans deserve our thanks and respect–they also deserve more recognition from us. Some are still actively engaging in warfare all over the world on repeated tours of duty.

 

 

I cannot imagine how it must feel to have hopes and dreams with no guarantees of ever achieving them.Those who are Blessed to return to home and family must treasure this miraculous gift.  For those who have no home or family to embrace–our special prayers go out to them today.

 

 

A sincere Thank You to all of our Veterans everywhere. May you stay safe under the shadow of His wings.

 

 

Picture credits:  roysrantswordpress.com

Charlene

 

Digiprove sealCopyright secured by Digiprove © 2012 Charlene Kirst